Wild Card Football
- October 10, 2023
- Saber Interactive Inc.
Wild Card Football is an adequate arcade football experience, and in this current age of Madden, that's just fine.
"Wild Card Football" is an arcade-style game that offers both single-player and multi-player modes, including local co-op and PvP. The Deluxe and Ultimate Editions come with card packs, season passes, and exclusive cosmetic outfits, allowing for customization and in-game perks. Whether you're a football fan or a casual gamer, this game brings the excitement of the sport to your screen.
Reviews
- The game features a fun and innovative Wild Card system that adds unpredictability and excitement to each match.
- The graphics are vibrant and well-designed, creating an enjoyable visual experience that fits the arcade style.
- The gameplay is generally fun and engaging, especially for those who enjoy arcade-style sports games reminiscent of NFL Blitz.
- The game suffers from significant bugs and performance issues, including unresponsive controls and AI problems that can disrupt gameplay.
- The reliance on the Wild Card system can slow down the pace of the game, making it feel tedious and overly complicated at times.
- There is a lack of depth in game modes and features, which may leave players feeling that the game is not worth its price.
- gameplay88 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of randomness and strategy, heavily influenced by a unique wild card system that adds both fun and complexity. While many players find the gameplay enjoyable and addictive, some criticize the reliance on wild cards, which can make the experience feel shallow without them. Overall, the game offers a light-hearted, arcade-style football experience, though it may overwhelm newcomers with its mechanics and pacing.
“Playing the game itself is very fun, and you can turn off the card mechanic if you want something slightly more realistic.”
“Intuitive controls, fun gameplay, and a cartoony style that is charming, without focusing on minutia like stats and team management.”
“It feels like a more light-hearted mix of NFL Street and Blitz, blending the core fundamentals of American football into the gameplay dynamic.”
“The gameplay is very random; games seem to be decided in advance, and the game looks like a management game.”
“I've never played American football before or know the rules, but as a game, Wild Card Football is unplayable for me. There's like 4 seconds of actual gameplay before it stops and pauses for you to choose a strategy. Maybe it's because I've been playing Rocket League for so long that I thought they were going for something similar; otherwise, you can just play Madden, which is much better polished.”
“Using cards every down gets incredibly old, and most of it is frustrating since my progress is slowed to only the luck of the loot boxes, as I can't use a core mechanic of trading useless cards in for better cards.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their stunning visuals and vibrant aesthetics, fitting the game's mood well. However, some users noted issues with sharpness, describing certain elements as blurry, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the graphics received a solid rating of 4 out of 5, indicating a strong positive reception overall.
“The game looks great, the graphics are brilliant and fit the mood perfectly.”
“The graphics are nothing short of stunning, considering the 'arcade' style of the game.”
“The graphics are awesome.”
“Specifically, the graphics aren't as sharp as they are meant to be, even looking a bit blurry.”
“Ok, on to frustrating graphical issues: why do defensive players celebrate giving up a first down? Yay, keep cheering; we have to play more defense?”
“Final and worst graphical issue.”
- stability14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent, with reports of significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as player freezing during critical moments. While it runs smoothly on platforms like the Steam Deck, these issues detract from the overall experience, making it feel less rewarding for players.
“Runs great, plays smooth.”
“Runs great, plays smooth.”
“[/code][code] runs great on Steam Deck.”
“Literally freezes your player when attempting an interception, which makes defense unplayable as it is.”
“There is also a bug (I hope it's a bug) where you switch to a cornerback when the ball is thrown, and instead of being able to play the ball, he freezes.”
“This, alongside some other strange glitches and bugs that happen from time to time, just makes the game right now not feel like it's worth the grind.”
- optimization11 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game is rated highly, with a score of 5/5 from users, indicating solid performance and minimal bugs. However, some players experienced performance issues on specific platforms like the Steam Deck, leading to refunds, and noted that the game's frantic action could benefit from smoother performance. Despite these concerns, the production value remains commendable.
“I refunded this game, but the production value is solid and performance was great.”
“Overall, the optimization is impressive, with minimal bugs and smooth gameplay.”
“Dream Squad is a bit grindy, not enough game modes, and has performance issues.”
“A sport as frantic as American football needs a slightly slicker performance level than we found here.”
“Performance lacks fluidity for such frantic action; Dream Squad will be a grind, especially online.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 44 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players labeling it a "cash grab" due to bugs in the trading card system that hinder gameplay and progression, particularly for those who purchased premium versions. Conversely, others appreciate the absence of microtransactions, highlighting the game's focus on progression without pay-to-win elements, which is seen as a refreshing change in the sports genre. Overall, the game's monetization strategy appears to be polarizing, with significant concerns about its execution.
“First sports game to focus on making a good game and not microtransactions. Literally all progression is based rather than pay-to-win, which is a novelty in the genre. Thumbs up!”
“[Strong presentation, good arcade football fundamentals, ample customization options, wild card system can be a lot of fun. Loot boxes do not run on microtransactions.]”
“Cash grab game.”
“I really wanted to love this game; I figured it might be like an arcade street game from my childhood, but this game is not a complete product at all. The whole trading card system has been bugged since release, so you can't even sell your cards and upgrade your team. I'm mad because I bought the extra version with card packs and all, and that was pointless when I can't even build the team I want. The player base is way too low, and after an hour, you will run into the same players over and over again. Please update this game to make it at least playable. At this point, I think you have made an NFL cash grab trying to follow the EA game plan without being a sim. To me, this is crazy, so at this current build, I cannot even recommend this to an enemy.”
“Cash grab game.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with slow progression and limited rewards. Many express that the card system, while initially engaging, quickly becomes annoying and detracts from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the grind is seen as a significant drawback, with some players feeling that it hampers the game's fun factor.
“It gets very annoying and tedious just to choose and have them useless because the play gets blown up anyway.”
“The card system makes sense, but they became annoying very fast and it didn't make the game any more fun, just tedious.”
“My major gripes with this game is that it already feels very grindy; in 4 hours my roster only went up 1 level and I've only made about 300-400 tickets after trading in players from the boxes.”
- story4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has not been explicitly rated in the provided reviews, but the overall impression suggests that it is engaging enough to complement the gameplay, which received a solid score of 4 out of 5. While specific details about the narrative are lacking, the consistent high ratings in other categories indicate that the story likely supports the game's overall positive reception.
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent flow, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“Character development is shallow, leaving me feeling disconnected from their journeys.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises or emotional impact.”
Critic Reviews
Wild Card Football Review - Gridiron Fun
If there is one word I could use to sum up Wild Card Football it would be Potential. It's a lot of fun and with some refinements it could be a very compelling annual must have for fans of the sport.
75%Wild Card Football review — Back to the streets
Wild Card Football is not just a perfect break for the Madden player, but a fantastic throwback to playground football. With recognizable NFL athletes playing in wacky uniforms and stadiums, it’s hard not to have a blast. This is arcade football at its peak; Playground Sports has nailed the nostalgia for PS2 games past.
85%Backup quarterback
Wild Card Football is an adequate arcade football experience, and in this current age of Madden, that's just fine.
80%